Dante's Warcry 2: Seven
by Hey.I'm.Nika
Summary: Sequel to Dante's Warcry: The continuance of the unfair tale. Six years later, the death of a good man causes a daughter to call for help in the most unexpected ...and unwanted place. Forgotten, but never forgiven. Rated M for safety. Dante and OC *plot still ensues*
1. Chapter 1: Defenceless

Hello all of you awesome people! It is here, finally!

The sequel to "Dante's Warcry", the continuing of the unfair tale you have been following so far. I'll be sure to top the first story, and I absolutely love all of you loyal readers visiting this one!

For those of you who are reading about this tale for the first time, I would urge you to read the first one, Dante's Warcry, to understand this one better.

Here's the link: s/7030588/1/bDantes_b_bWarcry_b

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 1: "Defenceless"

_6 years later._

"Oh, my gosh...What the fuck...?"

"This is horrible!"

"Who did this?"

"Do you think it was the work of a cult?"

The comments of the spectators flooded the air as the police hastily taped the crime scene off, to separate it from the many bystanders gaping in horror and shock at what they were seeing. It was 00:30am, and most of the bystanders were clubbers and partygoers on a Friday night.

"Coming through...! Out of the way...!" Detective Harper shoved through the growing crowd to see what he was beeped so urgently for... in the middle of his precious vacation time.

"Holy shit..." he mumbled as he got a good look at what everyone was appalled by.

The corpse of a man was lying on the pavement, brutally murdered. Brutal was an understatement... Parts of his face were ripped off, leaving half of his skull bare and grinning distastefully at the audience around him. His eyeballs were missing, and every limb was twisted in at an impossible angle, broken and shattered to the core. His clothing appeared blood soaked in the streetlight, insinuating massive gashes to his skin, and the ocean of his own blood around him explained major internal damage.

"This was no ordinary attack..." the detective knelt down next to the body, and examined the interesting words that were written on the man's smiling skull. It looked like Latin.

"Excuse me, Detective?"

Harper looked upwards at the sickened face of one of the officers. "Yeah?"

"There's a woman who wants to see the body... claims she's his relative..."

Detective Harper stood up. "Well... okay, let her through."

Moments later, a woman walked towards the scene slowly. The detective's senses were immediately alert and aware of this peculiar person. She was impeccably dressed in an expensive white coat that resembled virgin snow, balancing on eye-catching legs and high heels... that were impossibly high. Her hair was pulled into an up-do, perfectly complemented by a strikingly attractive, flawless face.

This woman, with her classic good looks and impeccable air, made him curious. This should be interesting, he thought. The big brown eyes that peered into his were deepened with obvious distress and hurt, but her face said nothing else. Her manner of stance as well as that deep glare suddenly intimidated him and he wavered before he continued:

"I'm Detective John Harper," he stuck out his hand to shake hers, but the attractive lady stared at it distastefully. He slid his hands into his pockets.

She walked over and knelt next to the body, and started speaking to it.

_French?_ The detective wondered.

The woman spoke in a shaky, deep voice, emanating anger and hurt as she seemed to be taking leave of the murdered victim. At last she stood up.

"Do you have any relation to the victim? Can you identify him?" The detective burned with curiosity.

She nodded slowly. When she spoke, the cold air around them made a small breath of fog visible from her lips.

"That is Andre du Beaumont," she stared at the corpse, which was now being covered with a sheet. In the corner of his eye, detective Harper saw her balling her fists as she added:

"And I am his sister."

X

"That'll be five-fifty li'l Missy."

"Thank you."

The old man at the counter took the coins and eyed the girl in front of him gingerly. After handing her the cokes she asked for, he nodded to the other young girl that was standing uncomfortably nearby and leaned over the surface of the counter of the stuffy bar. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, he asked: "What are two pretty little things like you doing in a grown up place like this?"

Every half-drunk tinker, tailor, soldier and sailor in the room had their attention on the two girls who entered the bar on the east coast of Fortuna Island.

The bartender wasn't wrong... It WAS a very grown up place. The dimly lit Turnpike Tavern had the distinct smell of old, wet wood and sweat gained from a day of hard labour, and it hung in the air heavily mixed with a puffy cloud of cigarette smoke. The place consisted of a bar, nearly invisible at that point where numerous half-drunk customers were either celebrating or sorrowing themselves into a stupor, as well as a few withered booths and some dusty pool tables. The moment the two girls opened the door, their faces had been met with a hot wave of smoke and alcohol breath.

The bar went silent in a second. It was unheard of.

All eyes were on the two juveniles, awkwardly stepping their way towards two seats in the corner of the tavern. Judging from the clothes they wore, they were obviously from the posh parts of Fortuna. What were two rich little brats doing in a place like that?

"Just passing through..." The blonde one finally told the bartender. He nodded, a knowing smirk spread across his bearded face.

"This is by far the most stupid idea... EVER!" Emeline groaned as Juliette came from the bar with the two dusty, warm cokes.

"Omg, relax, Em." Julie rolled her eyes as she went to sit next to her cousin. "I've been in places like these before."

"How are cocktail lounges with your mom comparing to this?" Emmy asked bitterly, eyeing everyone else nervously while taking a tissue out her purse and wiping every surface near her. How the hell they actually let the two sixteen year olds into this place, were beyond her. She only went with Julie's STUPID scheme 'cause she thought they wouldn't even let them in.

"Just pretend we're at the circus," Julie shrugged.

"How is this anything like the circus, Juliette?" Emmy gaped as Julie opened her drink.

"It's a lot like the circus, except at the circus... the clowns don't talk," Julie giggled.

"That would've been funny if we didn't sneak out of the house at 1 a.m. to do this!" Emmy started to panic.

They were attracting some attention. Behind scrutinising stares all the men were discussing the pretty, underage girls, and speculating whether they were lost, or looking for some fun.

Their type of fun.

It was pure coincidence that the man in the booth a few feet away was studying them intently. He was comfortably sandwiched between two women, one light and fair skinned with allure oozing out of her very being, the other darker and emanating a more strict type of appeal, but still pretty nonetheless.

"What are you staring at? Didn't think you were the paedophile type..." the blonde purred, half-amused, half-annoyed at the man next to her.

The dark-haired girl peered over her tinted lenses, and pouted. Rolling her eyes, she sighed: "Dante, if you get thrown into jail for committing adultery with juveniles, we're not bailing your ass out."

Dante chuckled at Trish and Lady's comments, still watching the two girls intently, trying to zone in to listen to their conversation.

He considered them, and listened into their conversation.

The girl called Juliette stood tall and dignified, her features fine and delicate, complimented with platinum blond curls that were bunched on top of her head in an impossible style. The dress she wore pulled skin-tight, and was complimented with jewellery classy enough to give away her status. She was a very pretty girl, and fit in perfectly as the classic high school fantasy.

The one called Emeline was the complete opposite of the first girl. A lot less glamorous than her friend, she wore a coat with long pants, leaving only her neck bare. She had long brown hair that fell past her shoulders, which were nearly the exact same colour as her eyes. Her features were voluptuous rather than delicate, and her age was given away by the puppy fat that still surrounded her looks, leading everyone to believe she must probably still be in school.

Hers was a different kind of beauty... and he would've ignored them if it hadn't been for Emeline's striking resemblance to someone he knew...

A while ago...

"...and then if we kill it by ourselves, they'll have to let us go with them!" The blonde Juliette said.

"I guess that's true... But if we fail, we could get in serious trouble, Juliette." The brunette fell back frustrated in to her chair.

"Em-e-liiiiine!" Juliette pouted, hopping on her squeaky chair. "Don't be such a panty! Bon courage!"

"Fine." Emeline sighed in resignation. "So who do you think is one of... you know..."

"I'm not sure... Usually Daddy can sense it..." Juliette looked around her, concentrating. "They say this place is a regular hang out for them."

"I can't sense anything. I've only been allowed to use my powers for two years now. We don't have enough experience!" Emeline pouted.

"Well, Aunt Monique didn't get her powers until she was like 20-something, and she did everything we want to do now?"

The use of that familiar name did not escape Dante's ears, and he leaned forward to listen more intently.

"Yeah, but Aunt Monique was..." Emeline tried.

"No buts! Let's just do it!" Juliette put her drink down. "I have an idea..." And then she whispered something in Emeline's ear.

"What?" Her head snapped up. "Why should you be the one to do it?"

"Because," Juliette answered, "unlike you, boys like me and I have boobs."

This angered Emeline, who was clearly not as developed as the rest of the girls her age. She was sensitive about the subject.

"Oh yeah? Go ahead then, 'cause when you crash and burn over there at least they'll come in handy as two giant flotation devices, and that's just IF your large airhead won't work!" Emeline folded her arms.

"Come on!" Juliette fought back. "That demon is going to take one look at your non-existing ass and then decide he'd rather order the salad. With me, we at least have a chance."

Before Emeline could say anything, Juliette stood up and walked over to the bar again. In stage fashion, she spoke (very loudly) to the bartender.

"Pardon ME, sir, but I seem to have LOST my PEPPER SPRAY," Juliette turned her face slightly to speak to the room, and Emeline did a facepalm. "Could you PLEASE let me now if you find it? My YOUNG FRIEND and I are going outside to the DARK ALLEYWAY, and WITHOUT it, WE'LL BE DEFENCELESS."

Emeline groaned through her hands.

"Real smooth, Captain Obvious!"

"Shut up, Sergeant Sarcastic! It's gonna work!"

The two girls walked out of the bar, with just about every eye following them. To Em's further embarrassment, Julie added another: "DEFENCELESS," right before they went out the door.  
"Oh, that was just perfect Julie!" Emmy moaned. "Could you have been any more noticeable?"

"It'll work! Trust me," Juliette put down her Gucci purse carefully as they reached the alleyway, preparing herself for action.

"Like hell I trust you! Or do you not recall the incident at last year's family reunion..."

"That was your entire fault, not mine..."

"MY fault? Why I oughtta..."

Suddenly the fight had been interrupted by a rather loud growl. The girls spun around to see where it came from... And to their own horrors... Had to strain their necks upward just to see its head.

Julie uttered the first words: "O... M... G..."

It was a very large and tall bovine creature. It had horns as thick as their bodies and its hoofs were the size of their heads combined. Its eyes glowed bright red and with every grunt it revealed its crazy set of knife-like teeth.

"Okay..." Emeline started, feeling the fear push into her throat, nearly choking her. "Just... Stay... Calm..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Julie screamed, cowering with her hands over her face. The monster grunted audibly and started circling the two girls, who were standing back to back.

Emeline put out her hands, trying to hold them steady, but failing miserably. "Draw the power from your core..." She repeated the rhyme she learnt in class. "...feel it in your fingertips..."

The monster stopped, inquisitively inspecting at what this girl was actually doing. Her hands started glowing faintly...

"...feel the pulse... Intensify..." She watched the glow optimistically. "And... release!"

To her own morbid disappointment, her hands sent out a few measly sparks.

"Oh, shit..." Emeline breathed, wanting to cry.

The monster laughed.

"Run, Julie!" Emeline grabbed Juliette's hand and the two of them ran as fast as their little heels could carry them, but it was no match for the monster.

Within seconds, it had caught up with them and trapped them against a background that consisted of a pile of bricks.

They were stuck...

"Emmy..." Julie sobbed.

Emeline shut her eyes and held on tight to her cousin. "Its okay, Jules..."

The two were just about to say goodbye to living, when a deep, slightly amused voice spoke:  
"Well, well, well... What do we have here?"  
And then they saw him. A very tall man stood on the roof of the tavern.

His silhouette showed a long coat blowing in the wind, and from they were standing they could see his blue eyes glow iridescently, staring down at the situation in some sort of taunting fashion. He pulled out a magnificent sword from behind him and jumped down effortlessly.

With a thud, he landed in front of them.

Turning to the demon, he said:  
"Tsk, tsk. Why don't you try picking on someone your own size, pal?"

The monster roared and crouched into an attack position, stomping its giant hooves into the concrete, cracking it as the earth shook underneath him. It bared its yellow teeth at them, and charged.

The white haired man turned around, flashed a charming smile at the two girls and winked. They stared back at him, flabbergasted as the creature charged up behind him.

With a brilliant swing of his strong arm, the man grabbed the demon by its massive horn and swung himself up on its back. With an effortless movement, he took both of the horns, and twisted the creature's head... and hearing a loud crack and a terrible squeal...

...broke its neck instantly.

The creature fell down, and turned to dust between the man's knees.

He had to laugh at their shocked little faces. Strutting towards them, he cocked an amused eyebrow and asked:

"So... what are you two lovely ladies doing here? Your parents know you're gone?"

It was Emeline who managed to gather herself and speak first. "I... we... uhm... Who are you?"

The man came forward, took her shaky little hand in his and kissed it gently.

"My name is Dante," he said in his silkiest tone. To his surprise, a jealous Juliette practically shoved her hand in his face as she added dreamily: "I'm Juliette..."

Dante played along and took the hand offered to him: "The beautiful Juliette..."

The egoist in Dante loved the situation. The two girls stared up at him with adoring eyes, sexualizing him, idolizing the hero that had just snatched them away from the brink of death, which was a concept that instilled a shattering fear in girls at that age.

The supernatural part of him could see the young blood in them rushing towards their faces, their youthful hearts beating peculiarly... he was enjoying this. Older women usually didn't take this crap so easily, and dismissed his advances as egomaniacal and superficial. It was rare for him to encounter two innocents who could still trust him so easily, and eat his words up so sweetly. It was too cute.

"Now, mind telling what brought you pretty girls to this part of the world? You sure don't look like you're from around here." He unsheathed his magnificent sword and, revelling himself in their worship of his weaponry and strength, leaned on the hilt. "Where do you come from?" He asked smoothly.

"We... we're tourists..." Emeline started.

"...and we wanted to go to a club..." Juliette added.

"...but the clubs were closed..."

"...yeah,yeah... because of the holidays..."

"...so we took a wrong turn..."

With a wave of his hand, Dante dismissed them both.

"No, no, no..." he laughed. "You're not tourists," he twirled the sword underneath his fingers and shocked the two by accusing them: "You're Du Beaumonts."

"How did you...?" Juliette started.

"Oh, I've been around for a while. No need to be so shocked..." He hesitated before he added. "I knew your aunt quite well."

"Which one?" They asked.

"Your aunt Monique." He put his sword back in its place.

Juliette's face brightened. "That's so cool! She's like our favourite aunt! Did you go to school together?"

_So she's alive, huh? _He thought tentatively. _Interesting..._

"Hmmm... sure," Dante shrugged. "You girls know how you gonna get home?"

The two teens looked at each other, and a careful Emmy added:

"We'll take a taxi. Thanks anyway..."

"All right," Dante winked. "But if you two are ever in any sort of trouble... and I do mean any sort... Call me, okay?" He slipped a card out of his jacket and handed it to Emeline.

"Devil May Cry..." Emeline read the card. "What do you do, Sir?"

Dante put his hand in his pockets and started walking back to the bar.

"Let's just say that when there's a problem with these kinds of things... I eliminate it," he called over his shoulder, and disappeared into the night.

X

The window slid open easily as Juliette pushed it upwards carefully as not to wake the rest of the guests at the guesthouse they were staying at. Silently, she and Emeline climbed through the opening, into the darkness of their own, comfortable room.

"We actually made it!" Emeline laughed breathlessly. She spoke too soon.

The light flicked on, and a very dark-looking aunt Monique stared wordlessly at the two.

"Em... we need to talk..."

"And all of my assets, including my estate with everything on it, my monetary assets and the custody of my beloved daughter, Emeline du Beaumont, will go to my sister, Monique du Beaumont, whose guidance and care will suffice to continue the proud traditions and honour of her heritage and family values."

The old attorney reading Andre's will peered over moon shaped glasses and spoke the words without any emotion whatsoever.

"This is bullshit!" a voice from the back of the room boomed.

Andre's ex-wife and Emeline's mother shoved into the front of the room, coming to a halt in front of the chair where a neatly black-clad Monique sat.

"I gave that bastard 6 years of my life and I get nothing?" she shouted. "I'm taking my daughter and I'm leaving! I'm going to fuckin' sue you for all you've got, Bitch! You heard me?"

Emeline, sitting next to Monique, gripped her aunt's arm, and in a begging motion, she sent her aunt a very clear message:

_Do something... Help me..._

Monique squeezed Emeline's shaking hand, unfolded her arms, and rose slowly to meet the wench after her late brother's money.

"Is that so?" She answered back in a tone that sounded so dangerous and severe, it sounded like it came from the jaws of a snake. Monique was no one to be messed with... and she was smart enough to see this one coming.

"I'll make you a deal then."

"What?" The woman grunted greedily as Monique pulled out a document from her purse.

"You can have it all. I'll give you the entire estate, as well as half of the money Andre entrusted to me... All I want is Emeline." Monique handed over the contract. Bitch deserved nothing, but she knew that the cow wouldn't rest until she had her way. It would spare Em a lot of trouble as well.

Shocked, Andre's ex stared at the piece of paper.

Monique du Beaumont had learnt to be a pretty good judge of character, proven once again by the fact that about 3 minutes later, Emeline's mother had signed the contract.

It bade little comfort over the loss of her brother though... not to mention the despair for the daughter he left behind. Emeline loved her father above all.

That night, Monique made Em's bed in her own apartment. Em sat in the corner the whole time, and it was only after a while that she spoke:

"Why was Daddy killed?"

Monique stayed silent for a little while.

"I don't know, hon."

"Was it for his power?"

"We should leave it alone, Dear. It happened..." Monique tried.

"No! I can't leave it! I saw the picture in the paper! He was tortured and slain and cut..." Emeline's voice broke. "...and I can't let this go! Daddy was a good man, why would anyone...?"

"Du Beaumonts are targeted all the time; your father wasn't the first to die for this family."

"I hate this family!" Em cried. "Don't you want to avenge Daddy? Don't you, Aunt Monique?"

"I... I promised your father I would never take revenge... on anyone..."

"What? But he didn't deserve to die!" Emeline was turning hysterical now, and with an angered face she turned towards Monique. "You know something... don't you?"

Monique tried again: "Em..."

"DON'T YOU?"

Without a word, Monique decided it would be best to leave the girl to herself. She stood up, and with a nod towards the girl left the room. She would be better in the morning, she's had a horrible day, Monique thought as she retired to her own room.

And yes... she did know something... But why worry Emeline with it? The poor girl would understand... in time... She thought as she turned out the lights.

Emeline fell on her bed and cried further until she was left with dry sobs. What could be done to make this go away? That demon... that vile piece of crap that took the only person she could count on for anything... he stole her father from her... That thing...

_Let's just say that when there's a problem with these kinds of things... I eliminate it..._

Emeline's head snapped up. The man from the bar... Dante... Would he help?

Could he avenge Daddy? Did he have that power?

Jumping from her bed, she grabbed her coat, fiddled in the pocket... and pulled out the card.

"Devil may cry..." she repeated, and wiped the moisture from her face.

She picked up her cell phone and dialled the number slowly... and after a moment of hesitation... pushed the call button...

It seemed to ring forever. Would he pick up? It wasn't during business hours after all...

Finally, the familiar male voice answered lazily:

"Devil May Cry."

X

WHOO! Please read and review! And do tell me what you thought of the first story's ending if you get the chance! Anyway, I smell major trouble! Be posting soon!


	2. Chapter 2: Angelfire

Chapter 2: Angelfire

The screaming... The howling... Squeals of pain...

These were the noises that came from the dark depths of the underworld as a new and terrifying enemy passed through it, grinning with satisfaction at the horror he was causing.

"Finally..." He growled. "It's mine..."

Out of his massive claws shot streams of brilliant light, burning every demon it touched. The power was amazing, and soon enough every being fled from his attack, just a handful of them left alive to tell the tale of the new creature who destroyed with the fire as white and as deadly as lightning.

The bitter enemy laughed in a hundred voices.

"I will rule it all! Humans and hell! All will be mine!"

He went to stand on a tall heap of ash, a heap that had been at least five demons just a few minutes ago. He lifted his giant maw and shouted:

"Remember me, future subjects! Remember this day, the day I made this proclamation. I will be the leader of you all! Remember my name..."

He stared at them with red glowing cat-like eyes and bared his razorblade fangs at them.

"...I am Ahriman!"

XXXXX

The last little bit of wine in trickled into Monique's glass as she emptied the expensive bottle of merlot. It wasn't even noon yet, she noticed as she glanced at her watch.

As she took another sip of the bitter stuff she slumped back into her chair and felt the familiar drunken spin swirling around in her head. Alcohol didn't make her forget. But it sure dulled the pain for a few hours. How long has it been since Andre's death now? A week? Just about.

_"I can take care of myself_." She told him that night.

_"This is an unwise choice, Monique. We have heard the worst about this enemy, and going after it alone is dangerous! It might kill you!"_Andre answered back annoyed.

_"Who are you? My father?"_Monique laughed as she took her coat.

_"You never listen to me!"_ Andre let out in anger. _"For once in your damn life, pay heed to my warning! Don't go after this thing alone!"  
_  
Knock-knock.

Monique was shaken out of her reverie by the knock at her door. Shit, she thought as she threw out the wine into a potted plant and shoved the wine bottle into one of her desk drawers.

Frantic, she took out a book and opened it at random.

"Uhm... Auntie..." Emeline tapped the door at the end of the hallway. "Are you there?"

"Come on in!" Came her aunt's voice from the next room, and Em stepped inside. She had always loved going into her aunt's lab, ever since she was little.

"Feeling better today?" Monique asked.

"Yeah..." Em smiled back.

She had first met her aunt about 6 years ago. The first impression from Em's point of view was pretty much the same as the rest of her cousins. One of very few Du Beaumonts that weren't fat and prude, their aunt was interesting and new to them. It was strange to the children that their aunt seemed a little unhealthy and weird for a while... Too thin at first, dark circles around her eyes and jumping whenever she would hear something crack behind her or when one of them would approach her unexpectedly. But after a short while she calmed down, they got a liking to her and the rest would be history. She liked Monique because of her wit, intelligence and immense knowledge of the world outside the aristocratic views of the Du Beaumont lifestyle. And of course, Monique seemed to like Em more than she liked her other cousins...

Emeline never liked being around people that much, and found solitude and comfort in these private quarters of her aunt's home since she came to live there. It was an apartment block, but little people knew of the lab she had created. From doing homework to always watching what Monique was up to, she enjoyed time spent there thoroughly.

Today, however... She was nervous.

The lab looked interesting. It was lined with potions, chemistry sets, books and posters depicting various celestial movement or strange and magical symbols no one could ever really recognise.

Monique, however, was bent over a rather large book, studying and examining something about the supernatural effects of something else...

"You know I don't like it when you call me 'Auntie...'" Monique lifted an eyebrow, but kept her head lowered and read further.

"Sorry..." Em was apologetic. "Daddy never liked it when I called you by your first name... Even though you always tell me to... What are you up to?"

Monique motioned for Em to come stand next to her. She turned a rather large page of the book, and Em read the heading:  
"Angelfire... Origin and legacy..." She looked at Monique. "What's angelfire?"

"It's what the baddies like to call our... _Special talent_." She winked at her niece and continued. "Has anyone ever explained to you in detail what it would feel like to a demon if you should ever attack it?"

Em shook her head.

"Well," Monique went on. "It burns them. If it's a strong enough attack it incinerates them. And, trust me, it causes enough pain to make it a sucky way to go... Humans have actually adopted this term to explain the pain you get after being tazed. We've been around for quite some time." She finished proudly.

"Wow, really?" Em asked. "You sure know a lot about this stuff..."

"Hmm." Monique agreed. "You know, Dear, we should start discussing what it is you want to do someday..."

"What I want to do?"

"Yes... Whether you'd like to pursue the family business... Or if there's anything else you have in mind... You are old enough to decide." Monique continued reading.

"Oh... Well... I'm not sure... What exactly do you do, Auntie? I know you're not exactly doing what the rest of the family is doing..."

Monique turned another page and jotted something down.

"I decided to explore different types of magic, Dear. I pursue a few of them... And I combine them with the Du Beaumont heritage. That way my magic is a little more versatile."

"Other types?" Emeline questioned.

"Alchemy... Divination... Sorcery..."

Emeline laughed. "Isn't that a little 'new age'?"

Monique shrugged.

Okay... Em thought, wringing her hands. Just do it...

She handed Monique a piece of paper.

"What's this?" Monique asked.

"Its just a form for a school field trip I want to go on tomorrow..." Em shifted her feet. "I'll only be gone for a few days..."

"Tomorrow? Don't they let everyone know sooner than that?"

"Dad said I could go..."

Monique studied the form and lifted her eyebrows. While she read the piece of paper, Em asked in a shaky voice:

"Aunt Monique... Who murdered Daddy?"

Monique's expression darkened instantly. She closed her book and went to sit next to her. Em continued.

"You know who it was..." She accused her aunt. "I know you do..."

Monique sighed deeply, and Em caught the unmistakeable whiff of wine in the air.

"Em... Whether I know or not... If this thing could have defeated your father, who was the head of this family, I'm not sure if I would be standing a chance going up against the murderer, and no one in the rest of the family would want to help... Trust me... I've tried to ask. I'm hurting too, Dear... But I promised your father I wouldn't go after... anything like that. Ever again."

"Ever again?" Em asked.

"Never you mind, Hon. I can't help you... And that's it." Monique finished with determination, but felt guilty as hell on the inside. She waited for Em to go off on her.

But she didn't.

"I understand... Aunt Monique. Don't worry... I love you, okay?" Em threw her arms around her aunt and squeezed tight.

She let go of a surprised Monique and walked off to leave the room.

" Uh... Actually... I was wondering about something..." She turned around as Monique went to sit on one of the steel stools by the testing counter.

"Ask away."

Em shifted a little bit. "How much do you charge for your services? Your... Supernatural services..."

Monique looked up, and noticed Emeline's suddenly peculiar and suspicious attitude. Her niece had never been very good at hiding something, she had noticed over the years. She decided to play aloof when she answered: "Oh, well... I guess it depends on the case, Dear. What kind of service are we talking about here? A hostage? A plague? An assassination...?"

"The last one..." Em looked at her feet.

"Hmmm... Then that would depend on the calibre of the demon... If it's a class 1, which is a very minor threat, I'd charge anything above a thousand and under two thousand."

Monique was interested by this sudden curiosity. Em was a good student, seeming to master her abilities very well, but the financial aspects were something peculiar to question. And now this... Field trip? The form didn't even say where they were going... Monique wasn't stupid. Its only been a decade since she herself had been a teen. She hoped her own suspicions were wrong...

"Why do you ask?" She folded her hands and watched Emeline open the door, shrug and say:

"No reason..."

X X X

The last little bit of whisky trickled into Dante's glass as he emptied the expensive bottle of Jack Daniels. It was nearly noon.

He leaned back into his chair and swirled the golden liquid around in its glass.

Anytime now, he thought. He didn't really know what to expect. It had been a few days since he had received the late night call from the distressed young lady he had the privilege to meet at the Turnpike Tavern.

Dante closed his eyes and attempted to recall the girl's face. He had only met her briefly... But her face didn't leave his mind. She looked like...

_I'll eat you up... I'll eat you up...  
_  
He hummed the tune along with the words that played around in his head. Man, how long has it been? A while. Just about 6 years. In his mind he saw her pretty mouth smile, the big brown eyes growing wide, her lithe little figure moving rhythmically, hypnotically. This was a fond memory.

She was naïve... Stupid... Spoiled. Man, she irritated him.

He had played along whilst pitying the girl, who had been way in over her head in this damned business. Until after that one night... The 'incident', she liked calling it. After that he saw a different side of this girl.

She was innocent... Brave... Beautiful. She excited him all the more and he liked her.

He took a sip of whisky.

He remembered the hospital. The smell of burning flesh and the sound of screaming victims went through his mind and he thought about the reaction of the people who were in the hospital when they saw him... They were expressions of pure, adulterated horror. He figured the devil that he thought he had defeated had set the building on fire, violently attacked the patients along with the staff... And kidnapped and/or murdered Monique du Beaumont.

_But she's alive..._

His head snapped up at an unexpected knock at the door. Before he could even think about opening it, Lady burst through, throwing her purse in one direction towards a stool and walking towards Dante resolutely.

"Get up! There's a hell of a damn thing going down in the underworld... And we gotta go deal with it." She went to sit on Dante's desk, folding her beautifully toned legs and leaning forward towards him, her eyes tinged with excitement behind her tinted lenses.

"What's the magic word?" Dante smirked as took another swallow of whisky.

"It pays big bucks!" Came Lady's animated answer. "C'mon, c'mon, we have to leave right away! Get off your ass and let's go."

"As much as I would love to accompany you on your little rendezvous... And I don't like giving up on the chance of a good fight or a great pay check either... But I've got something else I'm doin'. Gonna have to make it another time..."

He had to chuckle at Lady's offensive expression.

Then she asked, a tinge of annoyance in her voice:  
"And what's so important?"

Just then, as if on queue... There was a light tap on Dante's door. Their heads turned towards the noise simultaneously. Grinning back at Lady, he called:

"C'mon in. It's open."

The door creaked open, and inside stepped the girl.

"Hey, there. Emma, is it?" Dante smiled and motioned for the young lady to step inside. He wanted to laugh at Lady's surprised expression as the very adolescent Em walked over and shyly corrected Dante:

"Emeline, Sir. Emeline du Beaumont."

"Du Beaumont?" Lady sounded shocked. Dante continued:

"Did you find the place easy enough?"

Emeline nodded. "The neon sign helped."

"Did you bring anyone along with you, Emeline?" Dante asked, and hid the tinge of disappointment when Em shook her head and added, with some embarrassment, that she had in fact, come alone.

"So, since you couldn't tell me on the phone... What can I do for you, Beautiful?" Dante leaned forward in anticipation of the girl's request.

Emeline steeled herself and took out a small pamphlet from her purse. Handing it over to Dante, Emeline finally spoke:

"My father died about a week ago..."

Dante read the pamphlet and recognised it as a funeral booklet. On the front page was the picture of Andre du Beaumont, and Dante had only a vague recognition of the man's face.

_Andre du Beaumont, beloved husband, brother and father._

"I'm sorry, Kid," Dante answered as he handed the booklet back to Emeline.

"I don't know whether you've seen this... But my father's death made news headline, Sir, and everyone knows that he didn't just die... Someone killed him... It was a horrible murder, Mister Dante."

Emeline swallowed hard. "I need to know whoever did it... And I want whoever did it... To... Uh..." She fell silent. But Dante knew what she was implying at. He eyed the girl for a few seconds.

She really did look a lot like Monique. Her hair was tied back into a pony tail, revealing a rather unbalanced face. Her features were framed by puppy fat and she still had to grow into her nose, but she was already a pretty little thing.

"How old are you?" Dante asked her and folded his arms.

"14, Sir."

Dante nodded knowingly.

"From what I've heard, you're from a whole family of people that actually hunt demons themselves. Why don't you ask any of them?"

Emeline looked down at her feet. "No one wanted to help... Everyone just... Accepts it... My aunt, who I'm living with now, says that the enemy is too strong and that she made some stupid promise to my dad and that she can't help me..." Em trailed off, shuffling her feet. "I really need your help, Sir..."

Dante looked at Lady, then back at Em.

"Listen, Kid, if your family... and your aunt... doesn't want you going after this guy... They're probably doing this for a good reason..."

He felt pity for the girl, whose eyes suddenly turned sad.

"I understand, Sir... Thank you for your time," she whispered before she turned around and slumped towards the door.

"Goodbye..." She added as she slammed it shut behind her.

Dante stared after it for a few moments, and Lady let out a deep sigh and slid off the table. Looking from Dante to the door, she shifted her shades and asked: "How did you manage to meet with a Du Beaumont...? I've only ever heard..."

Just then the door slammed open.

"NO!" Emeline walked in, her face tear-stained. "No! Sir, Dante, you don't understand. I understand, but you... You don't understand it at all!"

Dante was a bit taken aback by the shy girl's sudden entrance and outburst.

"What exactly is it that I don't understand, Miss du Beaumont?" He asked calmly.

"You don't know, okay? My family... It's not normal! Okay? It's not like a normal mom and dad you see on TV, where the dad goes to work and the mom stays at home with the kids and everyone's so happy, okay?"

She wiped her tears angrily.

"You don't know what it's like to be born into a family that's mixed up with this stuff... I didn't choose to have a daddy that fights demons and saves the friggin' world, and a family that has to hide from everything out there! If the world only knew... I always have to be so protected..."

She looked Dante in the eyes, a large amount of beg in her voice. "My daddy was killed by a demon... I couldn't help... No one wants to help... I didn't choose this life... And now I lost the person who was my... Everything... Because of demons!"

Something in Dante stirred.

"You don't know, Sir... You don't know..." She started crying again.

Dante was moved. The girl had, in fact, been describing his exact childhood right there, hadn't she? She was right... How can a child choose this life? Demons killed one of his parents too... No one knew about his life. And he wasn't strong enough to protect her. If anyone knew how she was feeling at this very damn moment... It would be Dante himself.

Lady strode towards Emeline and led the girl towards the sofa in the room. She put her arm around the girl and shushed her.

"There, there," Lady whispered in sincere sympathy to Emeline, also knowing the feeling of a lost parent to demons. "Everything's going to be okay... Don't cry... Big girls like us... We've gotta be strong at times like these..."

Lady shot Dante a look that could only mean one thing: _Help this kid or I'll kick your fucking ass._

In a moment, Dante had made his decision. He strode towards where a sobbing Emeline sat, and took her small hands in his. Staring at her face, now red and wet from crying, his expression softened. He opened her palm and kissed it gently.

"Emeline du Beaumont..." Dante whispered. "I am at your service."

Her expression turned from one of complete sorrow to hope in an instant.

"You'll help me, Sir?" She asked, almost not believing her luck.

"Call me Dante," he smiled.

BANG!

The three of them were suddenly in complete shock as the door of the Devil May Cry building was blown from its frame, and hit the back wall in a brilliant flash.

Dante immediately shielded the stunned girl from the pieces of sharp wood that flew all over the place. He motioned to Lady. "Stay here and protect the kid."

He slid his guns into their holsters and went to step outside, trying to find the culprit who had decided to blow up his door.

"Well, well, well," Dante smirked and bellowed in a theatrical manner, as was his way:

"Hello, Tall-dark-and-obnoxious... And who might I have the displeasure to meet?"

In front of him stood a figure.

He wore a loose cloak that covered his entire body, and it had its hood up. It wore large gloves, hiding rather large hands. On his face he wore a mask. It was a very theatrical mask, made from a strong type of bronze and fashioned into a malign and evil looking face.

"What are you?" Dante asked in mock curiosity. "Some kind of renaissance clown gone wrong?"

At this, the man lifted his hand into the air and his hand started glowing, forming a strange white halo around it.

"That's pretty," Dante mused as he stepped forward onto the ground. "Is it a circus trick?"

Meanwhile, Lady and Emeline stared out the window towards Dante and the masked figure.

"You're in for a treat," Lady laughed bitterly and told a wide-eyed Em: "Now you can check out what your new employee's really capable of."

The halo around the man's risen hand grew brighter. Suddenly, he smashed it into the ground, and sent the energy from his hand pulsing into the dirt. Then things went silent for a second.

"Not talking, huh?" Dante chuckled.

The next thing caught him by surprise as he felt the energy approach him at an impossible speed.

The ground beneath him erupted as the white energy burst through, and he felt pain as an impossibly hot fire seemed to burn his skin underneath his clothes when he didn't jump away quick enough. It blew him from his feet a few metres into the air.

Dante groaned a little underneath his breath, not only at the pain, but also for the surprise at this interesting new attack this guy seemed to emanate.

He landed on his feet a few metres from where the scalding energy had blasted through.

"I see..." Dante grinned as he slid his enormous blade from behind his back. "You didn't come to play, huh?"

The enemy also adapted an offensive stance, shoving his glowing hands in front him, ready to attack.

Dante spat on the ground and lifted his sword:  
"You came to kill."

The two simultaneously launched an attack.

The masked man shot an amazing stream of blinding light in front of him towards Dante, who in turn shoved his sword right into the fire-like energy, diverting it sideways and away from him.

He reached the enemy in an instant and slammed his sword into its side. The enemy surprised him by dodging this by an inch and putting its hand on Dante's chest, sending a ball of fire into his whole body.

"Ahhh!" Dante cried out at the intensity of the heat and pain, but never wavered. He could still take the pain.

"What the fuck's your problem? Who shook your cage?" Dante took out his guns and shot at the figure, who seemed to be dodging the bullets easily enough, shooting out powerful flashes of fire at him, missing him by mere inches every time.

The figure didn't answer, and just kept shooting. He was interestingly lithe, not at all strong and solid as he looked.

"Fine!" Dante laughed. "I would've taken the time to see things from your point of view... But I just can't seem to get my head that far up my ass."

He used his elbow to punch the enemy in the side of his head, sending the (surprisingly light) man flying to the ground. Dante gave him a good kick in the gut and another blow to the head with his hand.

"Hmmm..." Dante mused theatrically, his whole body still in pain from the fire that pulsed through it. "I hear the wheel spinning, but looks like the hamster is dead. Whatever makes you this stupid seems to be working."

He picked the man up by his neck and held him up in the air.

"Any last words, Motherfucker?"

Finally, a hoarse voice answered:  
"Just one..."

And then, Dante suddenly heard the girl's voice behind him. He looked behind him as Emeline ran over to them, shouting:

"NO! Wait! Don't! That's my aunt!"

When Dante looked back at the figure in his hands, he found himself holding a woman by her neck. He saw the pretty mouth, the big, brown eyes and the striking beauty as Monique du Beaumont's whole body started glowing.

"Monique?" Dante breathed.

She smiled an evil grin.

"Jackpot, Bitch." And then the fire shot from her.

XXX

A/N: There it is! Shocking, isn't it? I do hope you enjoyed this chappie! PLEASE read and review! I'd love to hear feedback on the character's personalities and whether I'm characterising correctly, and just whether you like/love/hate this! Thanks for reading guys, I'll be revealing the next part of the story very soon :D


	3. Chapter 3: Protect

Ladies and Gentlemen, you probably hate me! Its been AGES since I've updated, please accept my apology I had my reasons, but I'm up and running again for reals now :D I'll be updating again regularly from now on!

After you've read, please feel free to r&r :D ENJOY!

Chapter 3: Protect

The light reflected like a brilliant bolt throughout the entire street, humming almost melodiously as the beams licked its surroundings. To Lady, it seemed almost beautiful as she stared in horror when it enveloped Dante in front of her eyes. She had heard horrific stories about this type of power, and it was coming true where she could experience the whole thing. It was like a front row seat to a medieval execution.

"No…" she breathed and her heart leaped. _Not him… Not like this!_

What were mere seconds felt like hours to her as she froze to wait for the light to subside. She knew there was nothing she could do for her friend. Her best friend, she knew in her heart. She never told him this, and now it was too late anyway.

Then the light faded.

Lady almost didn't believe it. Then the rumours about this power had been true, hadn't it?

The scene revealed the woman Emeline claimed to be her aunt standing on the ground, breathing heavily and audibly, her fists clenched and her eyes wide. Emeline was laying a few metres away in a foetal position, covering her head with her arms. But there was no sign of Dante anywhere. From deep inside of her heart, in an area she had locked away for so long, came a brutal fury that nearly made her choke as she considered Dante's death. Death at the hands of that stranger Lady had laid eyes upon a mere few seconds ago. She was just about to go on a serious killing-spree, when suddenly…

"Too slow." The voice came from a rooftop just above the cloaked woman's head. There he stood, proud and alive. Lady nearly wept with relief, but checked herself just in time. She straightened up and let out a deep breath, steadying herself.

Dante looked down at Monique, scratched the stubble on his chin and said in a sombre voice: "It's been a while."

She, in turn, stared up to the man in red, obviously in a conflict of terror and anger. Shaking, she lowered her fists, and fell to her knees. The cloaked woman looked drained and very near to death, her now pallid face reinforced only by the emotion in her eyes.

"That should've killed you…" she breathed out the words with some difficulty, but he could hear everything. The half-devil jumped from where he had been standing, and, with a powerful thud, landed in front of her effortlessly.

"So, Miss du Beaumont," he spoke slowly and gravely. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" He folded his large arms and stared intensely at her, his eyes resembling glowing coals. "Sure doesn't seem like you're here just to catch up."

She moved her lips solemnly and uttered the words in her most poisonous tone.

"With every demon I ever killed, I saw your face."

To his ears, her voice had matured, deeper and richer than he could remember.

"Every shadow around the corner was you slithering up behind me." The word slither sounded like a hiss from a cobra. She tried to push herself up with some effort.

"Every touch by a man came from your despicable hands, every kiss had been from your disgusting lips and every breath they took had been the ones you had been taking for 6 years."

Dante didn't move. He only listened, his features grave and severe, as if he were some powerful Greek god carved into stone, into immortality. To her, he seemed undefeatable at that moment. "I never lost sight of you," the woman choked out the words. "Not once. My body took the shot, but my mind never could… Not once."

The she lunged at him, a blade in her hand, aiming straight for his heart.

They say revenge is like digging two graves. True, Monique thought as she stared into two ice blue eyes, the eyes of the one person she despised most in this world. These were the eyes of a coward. A traitor. A monster. All these years it was like injecting a little bit of venom into herself every single day. The promise of fair and equal can be a mighty push into the licking flames of power. It had been consuming. Well… So what? If she would suffer, it would be a small price to pay for what he had put her through. Death didn't scare her.

He scared her.

But Monique no longer cared. She felt insane joy as the blade dug deeply into Dante's chest, feeling like revenge, and only revenge could be her redemption from an unfair ending to her happier days. She sighed with relief as she let go and fell to the ground.

"At last…" she sobbed. Then the bloody blade fell next to her.

"What is this about?" The half-demon asked, his voice turning darker with every word. The girl looked up at him. Then evaporated into thin air!

Dante stared at the spot, surprised at the sudden dissolve of the tired woman.

"What the…!" Dante heard Lady's voice in the building, and spun around to look at the blown-out doorway to see a flabbergasted Lady clutched by a very malign Monique. A knife was being held tightly to her throat. It was skilfully aimed, lying against her skin so that no matter what countermove she tried to pull, she'd have her neck slit fatally.

Dante chuckled ominously. "I'll give you one warning, Monique. Don't fuck with my friends," he called out in a dangerous tone.

Monique laughed malevolently. "I'm not the one who did the fucking, remember?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Dante asked quietly, as he slid out his sword from his back, letting it shine beautifully in the light.

"Excuse me?" Lady called out in mock anger, rolling her eyes in a dramatic fashion. OF COURSE Lady could get out of a knife to the neck in no time flat. Who were they kidding? But this scenario was a bit more interesting to her… and despite the poison in the woman's actions, she didn't seem to be intent on killing anyone but Dante. "I don't need rescuing!" She called out, hoping to stall the two, hoping to find out more about the story. The half-devil was always sure to be very secretive about himself.

"Take it as you'd like. What else would I mean by this?" Monique dug the knife a little deeper, already causing a little pain.

"Let her go, and I'll let you explain. You have 5 seconds." Dante spat on the ground and pointed Rebellion towards her, his tone icy, yet tranquil. "5…"

"Go fuck yourself."

"4… 3…"

"Leave me alone Dante!" Lady screamed in frustration.

"2…1…"

BAM!

Monique suddenly felt herself lift off the floor and thrown into the wall furthest away from her with a massive impact. A blinding pain shot from her right chest into her ribcage, travelling to every limb almost immediately. She opened her mouth to cry out, but the pain had nullified her lungs, and she could only taste blood as she tried to swallow in a breath. She realized her dilemma. This guy… definitely lived up to the Sparda name. The speed, the dexterity… It was more than impressive. Her powers were no match for his. But luckily for her, the Du Beaumont woman didn't have to fight fire with fire, she used strategy. A bright mind could overcome almost any brute force.

She tried to calm herself, needing a clear mind to figure out a plan.

She opened her brown eyes to stare straight into his blue ones, analyzing him to distract herself. His orbs were a vivid, icy blue, interlaced with snowy shards and deep blue streaks, combining to look like some sort of interesting crystal. She found them captivating, terrifying. They were angry and impatient, but to her trained eye, they were almost apologetic. Why?

The half-devil gazed upon the woman's face. His hand held steady onto Rebellion's hilt as it dug into the woman's ribcage. Her reaction wasn't normal. Sure he had been slapped around by a few ladies in his time, but the one he turned his attention to now seemed beside herself. The last time he saw her was when he had her safely entrusted to a hospital, off to get paid by the older dame who had hired them both. He had returned to find her missing, himself blamed as the culprit. He still couldn't go back to that area, where a warrant was out for his arrest. One of many others. The half-devil had presumed the girl dead after that… and yet here she was, pissing him off and after his head. If it were anyone else, he or she would have been pushing up daisies by now, being killed in no time flat. But his instincts told him to find out the woman's motive… There was something he didn't know. It must've been something pretty vital.

And of course, there was the fact that he didn't actually want to kill her. He would be sorry if he had to.

"What happened that night?" Dante whispered inquisitively.

Monique du Beaumont swallowed hard, her mouth bloody. "I swore that I would kill you," she whispered back, as if they were two kids exchanging a big secret.

"Why?"

This time, the question didn't come from Dante, but from the young Emeline who had come to stand right next to them. Her little body was rigid with terror, and her eyes were as wide as they came.

Suddenly, even in her own panic, Monique felt guilty. Emeline was a mere child. A witness to this could scar her for life, if it didn't happen already. She suddenly felt selfish, her own vendetta being chosen over protecting the girl… Andre would have kicked her ass. The gold-digging ex-wife would have been a better guardian at that moment.

"WHY?" Em shouted, close to going crazy.

"I… I… Uh…." Monique stammered, staring at her goddaughter. "It's…" She swallowed hard, quickly changing her plans. "Just a joke between old friends." She felt Dante's disbelieving stare wash over her face. "We were just playing, Em," she finished shakily, not believing the words coming from her own mouth.

"Playing?" Lady huffed, cocking an eyebrow.

"Playing…" Monique repeated, close to tears. She turned her eyes back to her enemy, and she had never felt worse in her life as her attitude made a 360, pleading to Dante with her eyes. _Please… for her_… they seemed to say. She doubted that the man would be merciful, but right there and then, she knew she had to do the right thing. She could always take revenge later… when the poor girl wasn't around. Monique silently prayed and begged him to play along.

To her own relief, Dante slid out the sword from her chest, and it took everything from her not to make a sound as she experienced immense pain. At least he was sure to be considering, taking it out slowly rather than to rip it out in anger or on purpose.

"Yeah," he repeated slowly, considering the kid's feelings as well. "We do this every time." To him, this felt like some sort of sick prank, but he did notice the sudden change in Monique's demeanour when the kid spoke up. He had been pissed by Monique's arrogant attack, but he understood the need to preserve Emeline's innocence very well. So he played along.

"What kind of game is this?" Emeline's eyes brimmed with tears, clenching her delicate little fists until her knuckles turned white. "You guys are sick!"

"Sometimes he wins… sometimes I win…" Monique smiled crookedly, clenching her wound. "We both heal up quickly afterwards." She gave a fake laugh. "It's to keep us on our toes."

Dante turned on his heel and walked towards the gaping hole that used to be his front door, and left the room silently. Lady followed him, burning with curiosity. The two girls were left alone.

Emeline turned back to Monique, who had her hand attached to her bleeding wound, glowing white as she muttered something in a foreign language.

Her eyes were closed and her brow was furrowed, the blood stains turning into a rusty brown around her mouth. Opening one eye, she murmured: "Sorry we scared you… He wasn't going to hurt me that much…"

For a moment Em looked confused, torn between what she had just seen and the trust she had put into both Dante and Monique. But, to Monique's relief, Emeline just nodded and spoke unsurely: "You guys are weird. Don't do that when I'm around."

"We won't." Another fake smile. "Em… what are you doing here anyway?"

Emeline shuffled her feet, still in shock at what she had just witnessed. "I, uh, hired Mister Dante."

"Hired?"

"Yeah, to… to…find Daddy's killer," the little girl swallowed guiltily. "No one else wanted to help…" This was too much, and Emeline started to cry at full extent, her hands covering her face. "We m..met at the bar… h…he saved Jules and I f…from a monst…monster…" She blubbered through her hands. "He t…told usss that if… we needed help… he… he'd help…"

"I agreed to help the kid out with the demon that killed your brother," Dante's voice came from the doorframe. His large silhouette was etched out in the streaming sunlight as he leaned against the broken wood. "My condolences, by the way."

"Thank you," was all that Monique could answer in front of Emeline. Gosh, how she loathed him, she thought as she stared at him, clenching her teeth to keep control. She hated him so much, and yet, she had to play nice. Standing up slowly, careful not to let the bleeding start up again, she straightened herself. "And thank you for your help, but I'm afraid you are too late. We've already spoken about the matter, and it's been closed." She shot a warning glance at Emeline, whose eyes turned towards the floor. "Haven't we?"

For a moment Emeline looked like she was going to say something, but then faltered and gave a weak: "Yes…"

Dante huffed. "Why don't you just let the girl speak her mind?" He beckoned at Emeline. "Kid…" She looked at him, he was being serious. "Say the word, and I'll help out no matter what."

She started looking hopeful. Turning to her aunt, she tried: "I want him to…"

"No!" Monique cut her short sharply. "You're coming home, and you have no say in the…"

"Let the damn kid speak for herself, Monique." Dante spoke loudly and sternly, walking over to stand and look down upon her. "It's her decision. And hers alone."

Damn… he was so intimidating… But she COULDN'T leave Emeline with a… a… rapist.

"Like hell it is!" Monique shot back after that thought.

"I want Dante to help!" Emeline said a little louder. "And I'll run away if I have to!"

"SHUT UP!" Monique shouted at her, near to full panic. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into!"

"What was that, Kid?" Dante challenged the situation. "Louder, please?"

"I want you to help, Sir! Please!" Emeline rose her voice to Dante. "Please help me!"

"I am your legal guardian," Monique yelled frantically. "And I forbid it!"

"If you do, I'll tell Mom that she can have my part of the estate if she tears up the contract!" Emeline shot back, having a new type of confidence now that she knows that Dante is behind her, supporting her. "I'm staying here," she said solemly. "And if you try and take me away, I swear on my father's grave… I will never forgive you. And you will never see me again. I'll go after the demon alone if I have to."

Monique was speechless. She couldn't tell Em the truth… it was too much… She knew there was no stopping the girl, but how could she leave her with such a monster? She couldn't force Emeline. It was against the law anyway, and if Em should run away and get hurt, it would declare her as an unfit guardian and she'd lose custody over her goddaughter altogether… She'd get lost in the foster-system, or worse, end up with her horrible mother.

Monique du Beaumont steeled herself for the only option she had left. She could plan well from this choice, and even convince Em to come home. She could still protect her with this… But, fuck, she was so scared.

_Watch over us, Andre…_ she prayed.

"Then… Then…" She took a deep, shuddering breath, and glanced at a triumphant man in red. "Then I'm staying too."

XXXXX

A/N: Yay! DONE! Please review! I'd like to know whether you like it/hate it/want to marry it/ want to divorce it/take it to lunch, etc. lol! Any addisional criticism or comments are very welcome! Thanks for reading :D


End file.
